Posts Tagged ‘chevy battery car’

The 2016 Chevrolet Volt will get a 40% boost in its battery-only range.

Chevrolet’s much-anticipated, second-generation Volt plug-in hybrid will make its initial sales debut in only a small number of U.S. states, with the PHEV unlikely to reach many parts of the country for another year or more, according to internal documents and sources briefed on the roll-out plan.

Parent General Motors initially plans to focus on 11 so-called CARB states that have adopted the tough Zero-Emission Vehicle, or ZEV, mandate enacted by the California Air Resources Board. Those states, which also include New York, New Jersey and Oregon, account for the vast majority of battery-based vehicle sales.

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The delay reflects a number of different factors, GM spokesman Kevin Kelly noting, “We’re just being more focused on where we have had the highest demand historically.” California, he said, currently accounts for 40% of Chevrolet Volt sales, “so that’s our primary focus.”

The gen-2 Chevrolet Volt is designed to spend even more time operating in electric mode.

Chevrolet is once again cutting the price of its Volt plug-in hybrid – but this time, the $1,175 discount comes with the launch of an all-new version of the extended-range electric vehicle. The 2016 Chevrolet Volt will cost as little as $26,495 when federal credits are taken into account, and some states offer additional financial incentives.

And, at the same, time, the 2016 Chevrolet Volt will be getting a big boost in range, the compact battery car expected to deliver an EPA-rated 50 miles in electric mode alone.

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“The next generation Chevolet Volt delivers more technology, the ability to drive further between gas fill ups and now with even more value to our customers,” said Steve Majoros, director of Chevrolet marketing. “We are confident we will continue to attract new customers to Volt with the vehicle’s product improvements and attractive price.”

The 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV can be purchased for as little as $17,500 in some locations due to federal, state and local incentives.

General Motors will begin selling its new Chevrolet Spark EV at select dealers in California and Oregon next month for a base price of $27,495 including destination charges.

Since the little battery-electric vehicle will qualify for a federal tax credit of $7,500, that will bring its effective price to $19,995 – and possible even lower thanks to various state and local tax credits. The maker also plans to offer a three-year, $199 a month lease after a downpayment of $999.

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That will position the Chevy Spark EV as one of the lowest-priced battery cars on the market, a move Chevy hopes will increase the appeal of the vehicle in a market still skeptical of electric propulsion. Based on EPA forecasts, the maker claims motorists could save as much as $150 a month on gasoline.

The Spark EV will do 0 to 60 in under 8 seconds, significantly quicker than the gas model.

General Motors claims its new Chevrolet Spark has captured the U.S. fuel economy crown with a 119 MPGe -- or Miles Per Gallon-equivalent – rating. The new battery-electric vehicle has meanwhile been rated at 82 miles range on a full charge, according to the EPA.

The Spark is the Detroit maker’s first pure battery-electric vehicle, or BEV, since the GM EV1 was pulled from production in 1991. The Chevy Spark EV is part of a wave of new electric vehicles aimed at consumers in California where that state has mandated that manufacturers must sell so-called Zero-Emission Vehicles.

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While automakers are challenging that mandate in court, a number of them, including GM, Toyota, Chrysler and Honda and others, are covering their bases by coming up with what critics have dubbed “compliance cars,” vehicles they will offer only, or at least primarily, in California.

Chevrolet will offer both a battery version of the new spark and a conventional gas model using an all-new engine family.

General Motors will introduce its first pure battery-electric vehicle, or BEV, sometime in 2013, basing it off the next-generation Chevrolet Spark platform.

The Spark EV initially will be sold in “select” urban markets around the world, including Southern California. It will then roll out to other parts of the world, with GM officials anticipating a slow ramp-up of demand for the vehicle – and for electric vehicles in general.

The Spark minicar will also be among the first GM models to make use of an all-new line of 3- and 4-cylinder Ecotec engines GM plans to bring to market in an effort to both improve fuel-efficiency and expand its own economies of scale,

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Demand for the new Spark battery car “will be slow,” acknowledged Jim Federico, GM’s small car engineering chief, as “Customers need to get comfortable and used to” the new technology. Nonetheless, GM officials said they recognize that the global push for cleaner, higher-mileage products will require the expanded use of “electrification” in all its various forms.